The present invention is directed generally to a system and method using persistent programming to deploy self-contained, executable applications, and more specifically to a system and method for encapsulating an application such that it appears to a user as a single executable file.
As computers become more powerful, software applications provide more functionality and thus become more complex. Current mechanisms for deploying applications are complex, typically involving installing multiple files on the machine on which the application is deployed. Removing the application or installing a new version is a complex task and typically prone to errors.
The process of installing an application involves physically transferring specific application components, ensuring the consistency of the complete set of components, and, perhaps, capturing the locations of the components for a subsequent uninstallation.
Current practice normally handles physical transferring of application components by bundling the components as a separate file or package and extracting them at the destination. This latter step involves storing the extracted components as individual files, and is done either explicitly by the extraction or under the control of an installation program. Some programming systems, particularly those operating on PC platforms, bundle the components into an executable program that is simply executed to achieve both steps. Other programming systems, such as Java, dynamically load the application components at run time.
Once installed as a collection of individual files, inconsistencies may develop, particularly if components are shared between applications, or if the component files can be manipulated directly outside the control of the application. Some systems, for example, permit configuration files including user-customization data (e.g., screen colors) and application-state data to be manipulated outside the control of the application. Such manipulation may cause data inconsistencies.
Other systems, such as MacOS.RTM., manage inconsistencies by collecting the code and data for an application into a single file. Still other systems, such as Solaris.RTM., manage inconsistencies by recording dependencies between software components.
At some point after an application has been installed, a user may wish to remove or upgrade it. Removing applications or upgrading to a new version requires knowing the location of the component files. Some installation programs create an uninstall program at installation time to facilitate removal of the application.
None of the conventional systems, however, provides complete application consistency or persistence of the application's components. Therefore, a need exists for maintaining the consistency of the application components while assisting installation, manipulation, and removal of the application.